Craig Taborn Quintet: Live In Concert : A Blog SupremeThe fearless pianist has a gift that's rare in jazz: making experimental improvisation enjoyable. He rarely gets to present his own groups, but he sees the spotlight at the Jazz Gallery, kicking off the CareFusion Jazz Festival New York.

Fearless keyboardist Craig Taborn, prolific on acoustic piano as well as electric pianos and synthesizers, has a gift: making experimental improvisation immediately enjoyable. For this, he has long backed many of the most forward-thinking improvisers on the planet, including James Carter, Tim Berne, Chris Potter and Dave Douglas.

He's so in-demand that he rarely gets the chance to perform as a leader of his own bands, despite a series of critically acclaimed recordings under his own name. Thursday presented a chance for him to demonstrate to a U.S. audience his compositional vision. As part of the CareFusion Jazz Festival New York, he presented four new, yet untitled works with a new quintet at the Jazz Gallery, the intimate Manhattan venue where he had often appeared — but never under his own name.

WBGO and NPR Music hosted a live webcast of the Craig Taborn quintet online on this page. A downloadable recording is available above.

A Blog Supreme is an ongoing conversation about jazz for both indoctrinated fans and curious listeners. Want to know more? Read our introduction to the blog. Want to get in touch with with host Patrick Jarenwattananon and the team? Send us an email.